Foldable table.



No. 890,943. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. M. ULLMAN. FOLDABLE TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1907.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fi er/16y MILTON ULLMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDABLE TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed August 8, 1907. Serial No. 387,581.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON ULLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, Manhattan borough, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Tables, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to folding tables.

The object of this invention is to provide a table of this character that can be used as a flat-top table, when the upper foldable parts are closed, or as a display table, having shelves thereupon, when the upper parts are extended. The supporting legs of my improved table are so arranged that I can also fold them, and when the entire structure is folded the table can be packed and stored to take up but little space.

To these and other ends, which will hereinafter appear, my invention comprises the novel features of improvement and combination and arrangement of parts which I will now proceed to describe and finally claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section, of my improved foldable table, the parts being extended to form a display counter having shelves; Fig. 2 is a crosssection taken on a line aa, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of my improved table showing the upper parts folded to form a fiat-top table, the section being taken on a line bb in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken detail side view of the reach-bar for bracing the legs of the table when in use; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the shelves used in connection with my improved table; Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of my improved table when closed for storing purposes; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of table adapted to be placed against a wall. Fig. 8 is an enlarged front view of the form of table illustrated in Fig. 7, showing the upper parts closed, by full lines, and the side walls extended, by dotted lines; Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the form of shelf used with the form of table illustrated in Fig. 7; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a different form of shelf adapted to be used with both forms of tables.

Referring to the drawings 1 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 indicates the main flooring of my improved table having sides 2 attached thereto.

The said sides extend above and below the floor 1 as shown for a purpose to be hereinafter described. To the floor 1, and at each end thereof, I hinge end walls 3 by means of the hinges 4; I prefer to use hinges that extend the full width of the said walls 3. The end walls 3 are cut as shown in Fig. 2 to form steps 5, 6, and 7 the crown of the said walls 3 being provided with a tongue 8. On the crowns 8 of the said walls 3, I place a shelf 9 which is provided with an opening 10 to fit over the tongues 8; upon the step 5 I place another wider shelf 11 which is also provided with an opening 12 (see Fig. 5) adapted to snugly pass over the bridge piece 13 between the said steps 5. Upon the steps 6 I place another wider shelf 14, which is provided with an opening 15 adapted to snugly pass I over the bridge piece 16 between the steps 6;

and lastly upon the steps 7 I place a still wider shelf 17 provided with an opening 18 adapted to pass over the bridge piece 19 between the steps 7. The shelves 9, 11, and 14 combined equal the width of the floor 1 between the sides 2, while the width of the shelf 17 equals the total width of the table, which includes the floor 1 and sides 2. Fig. 3.) To the under side of the floor 1 I hinge the legs 20, as at 21, the said legs being rigidly held in the open position by the reach-bar 22, which is provided, adjacent to each end thereof, with a groove 23 adapted to receive the tongue 24 carried by the crossbar 25 on each leg 20. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) Adjacent to each groove 23 I place a block 26 which is provided with an opening 27 adapted to receive the end of a locking bolt 28 carried by the cross-bar 25. When in position the bolt 28 serves, when screwed inwardly, to rigidly jam the legs 20 and cross-bar 25 together, whereby the table is prevented from shaking endwise.

My improved table, as above described, is adapted for displaying goods such as cut glass, china etc., and it will be of course understood that the intervening spaces between the shelves, taken in a vertical line, can be considerably greater, proportionately, than herein shown. A detail recital of the uses to which my improved table can be put, when (See wells, as shown in Fig. 3. As has been stated the said shelves 9, 11 and 14 are so 1proportioned as to completely fill the space etween the sides 2, whereby the said shelves cannot thrash. After having placed the shelves in the position described, I take the shelf 17 and place it on top of the shelves 9, 11 and 14. The width of the shelf 17 is equal to the width of the floor 1 plus the sides 2, and the length thereof, as well as the length of the shelves 9, 11 and 14, is equal to the length of the said floor 1, as can be seen in Fig. 1.

The depth of the sides 2, above the floor 1,

will be equal to the combined thickness of the side walls 3 and shelves 9, 11 and 14. Therefore when the shelf 17 is placed in position, on top of the said shelves 9, 11 and 14, a flattop table, presenting a neat appearance, will result.

If I wish to fold the table completely, I take out the screws 28, remove the reach-bar 22 and fold the legs 20 against the under side of the floor. (See Fig. 6.) I then place the reach-bar 22 upon the legs 20, as shown in Fig. 6, and pass each screw 28 through each opening 29 in the reach-bar 22, then into the threaded opening 30 in the floor 1, as shown in Fig. 6. By this means I secure the legs 20 to the floor 1. The depth of the sides 2 below the floor 1 is equal to the thickness of the legs 20 plus that of the reach-bar 22. The block 26 carried by the reach-bar 22 equals in thickness that of the legs 20.

In the modified form Fig. 7, the floor 32 has hinged, at'each end thereof, side walls 33 i which are cut to form steps 34, 35, and 36,

the crown 37 of said side walls 33 being provided with a tongue 33 similar to the tongue 8 in Fig. 2. Upon the walls 33, at the crownthereof, I place a shelf 38, similar to the shelf 9, which is provided with an opening 39 to receive the tongue 33 I then place a wider shelf 40 on the step 34, another still wider shelf 41 is placed on the step 35 and a still wider shelf 42 on the last step 36. The shelves 40, 41 and 42 are cut away, as at 43 (Fig. 9), the part 44 thereof resting upon its proper step, and the part 45 extending backwardly to meet the foldable back wall 46,

which is hinged to the rear portion 47 of the floor 32, as at 48. The dotted lines 49 (Fig. 8) show the manner of rigidly supporting the walls 33 in position, said means comprising a screw 50, which is carried by the overhanging end 51 of the walls 33, which screw is adapted to enter a threaded opening 52 in the legs 53. The side walls 33 are hinged to the floor 32 as at 54, Figs. 7 and 8.. To fold the upper members, the shelves 38, 40, 41 and 42 are removed and the side wall 33 folded inwardly against the floor 32; the back 46 is then placed on the side walls. The shelves 38 40, 41 are then placed on the back 46, and finally the shelf 42 is placed on top. I then have a flat top table. In order to lock the parts together I pass the bolt through openings 55 in the shelves and back 46 and into the threaded opening 56 in the floor 32. Adjacent to the steps 5, 6 and 7 (Fig. 2) and the steps 34, 35 and 36 (Fig. 7), I place battens 57 and 58, respectively, onto which the shelf 59 (Fig. 10) can rest, thereby obviating the necessity of cutting the hereinbefore mentioned shelves. 1

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A table, comprising a floor portion, ivotally mounted foldable legs carried therey, foldable end walls, said walls being cut to form steps, and shelves adapted to pass over said end walls and rest on said steps.

2. A table, comprising a floor portion, pivotally mounted foldable legs carried thereby, foldable end walls, said walls being cut to form steps of different widths, shelves carried by said steps, said shelves being provided with recesses adapted to pass over said end walls.

3. A table, comprising a floor portion, pivotally mounted foldable legs carried thereby, foldable end walls cut to form steps, shelves adapted to rest on said steps, one of said shelves being equal in width to that of the table, the other of said shelves being of different widths.

4. A table, comprising a floor portion, ivotally mounted foldable legs carried therey, foldable end walls carried by said floor,

shelves adapted to rest on said steps, and a foldable back wall also carried by said floormg.

5. A table, comprising foldable legs, foldable end walls ada ted to support removable shelves, one of said shelves being adapted to form a flat top for the table when said end MILTON ULLMAN.

Witnesses:

SIDNEY L. TEVEN, LILLIAN HARRIS. 

